Term 4 Newsletter Week 7 2025

Shared Reading: Building Meaning Together

This week's video from the Department of Education continues our focus on shared reading, when an adult and children read a text together, talking about what they see and hear. Shared reading is more than just listening to a story, it's about thinking and learning together.

When adults model how to read, pause to ask questions, and invite children to join in, they help children:

• hear fluent reading and expression
• learn new vocabulary in context
• understand how stories and information texts work
• build confidence and comprehension skills

In classrooms, teachers use big books or projected texts so all children can see and participate. At home, families can try the same approach by sharing a favourite story, asking what might happen next, talking about interesting words, and inviting your child to retell the story in their own words.

Shared reading brings together everything we've discussed over the past few weeks: vocabulary building, meaningful talk, and strong home & school reading connections. When we read with children, not just to them, we help them become confident, curious readers who love exploring language and ideas.

Morgan Johnson

Speech-Language Pathologist at Deception Bay State School